Two Welders Killed, Three Injured in Plateau Filling Station Explosion

An explosion at a filling station in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State on Friday claimed the lives of two welders and left three other persons injured.

The incident occurred at Natty Filling Station in Daffo community while maintenance work was being carried out on an underground fuel tank.

According to Kefas Mallai, chairman of the Community Peace Observers in the area, the two victims were a welder and his assistant. They had been trying to weld a leaking section of the underground tank, believing there was no fuel inside.

“Because of that, they thought there was no problem. But as soon as they started work on the tank, it suddenly exploded with fire everywhere, killing the two artisans instantly,” Mallai said.

He added that three bystanders who were watching the repair work sustained injuries and were rushed to a hospital for treatment.

As of the time of this report, authorities had not issued an official statement on the incident, and the identities of the deceased had not been released.